Piercing Blue
by AquaTurquoise
Summary: Sofia is summoned to the Secret Library to help finish a story about a fallen warlock and imminent captain, though she couldn't possibly anticipate the roles she and Cedric will be forced to play while trying to offer others a happy ending. *Summary proposed by and artwork by MarionetteJ2X*
1. The Enchanted Rapier of Lady Esper

Piercing Blue

Summary: Sofia is summoned to the Secret Library to help finish a story about a fallen warlock and imminent captain, though she couldn't possibly anticipate the roles she and Cedric will be forced to play while trying to offer others a happy ending. *Summary proposed by and artwork by MarionetteJ2X*

Disclaimer: I don't own the show! The original characters, the plotline, and the artwork all belong to MarionetteJ2X. 😊

A/N: MarionetteJ2X proposed this plotline several weeks ago and sent artwork for me to get a feel for the story as well as a basic outline for the way things could go. I'd like to thank her for the details and determination, because without them, I likely wouldn't have known how to go about writing this story. Haha. Also to others who've requested stories, I've got them in my queue and will be working the next few weeks/months to try to make those happen. Since I'll be returning to work on Monday, I won't be updating as frequently as I have been the last two and a half weeks, so bear with me. 😊 Hope you all enjoy! This WILL be a chapter story, so hold on tight!

PS: References to my original artifact, Sofia's GuardoRing, are made in here. The original story with its origins is "Dream Team," and if you're unfamiliar with its purpose, it's a ring Cedric created for her to help protect her; it can create magic forcefields, alert his wand when she's in danger, and so on. 😉 Just thought I'd make mention of that.

*Story*

Chapter 1: The Tale of the Enchanted Rapier of Lady Esper

Sofia was playing outside with Clover one afternoon, enjoying the freshly-fallen snow as much as she could while they still had it, when her amulet began glowing blue. She paused, realizing she hadn't had a summons to the Secret Library in a good while, and it sort of caught her off guard. After all, she was more used to being called to the Mystic Isles these days, but Story Keeper was still part of her repertoire, so she felt inclined to respond.

"I've got to go, Clover," she told the bunny as he was soon joined by Mia and Robin. She gestured toward her amulet. "Duty calls."

"Okay, Sof! We can play again tomorrow." He grinned and glanced up at the birds. "Last one to the big pile of fluff over there gets pelted with snowballs!" He laughed and hopped off, followed closely by Robin.

Mia, who realized she'd been left behind, yelped and flew after them. "Wait for me!"

Sofia smiled in amusement and shook her head before hurrying back into the castle. After gathering her key to the library, she used the secret passageway via her room to follow the familiar path to the exclusive room. After taking the boat ride as usual, she hurried up the stairs and unlocked the door, stepping inside and having a seat on the blue chaise.

A few moments passed before a deep blue book flew down from several stories up and floated before her.

The princess blinked at the cover before opening it to the first page, noting with curiosity that there was a picture of what appeared to be a sword glittering radiantly. She tilted her head as she read the title. "The Enchanted Rapier of Lady Esper…"

The book was absorbed into the large, glowing pendulum before her, and she watched as the story came to life as usual, the narrator reading aloud.

 _A century ago, in the middle of the sea, there was a teenaged girl named Esper. Unlike other higher ups or rich people at the time, she wanted to grow up to be a captain of her late father's ship called the_ _ **S.S. Esperanza**_.

Sofia tilted her head as she watched the girl on the screen in interest. The teen, Esper, had long flowing dark brown hair and light brown eyes, and she wore what she would describe as an aspiring captain's outfit: a navy-blue captain's uniform dress echoing that time period with encrusted gold detailing making it stand out a bit more, dark boots, and epaulettes resting on each shoulder. The girl seemed so full of life, and Sofia couldn't help smiling in excitement as she watched her.

 _Esper had a magnificent crew onboard with her, each one dear to her. Unfortunately, there was one particular member of the crew she didn't get along with too terribly well: her newly-hired warlock named Dio._

"A warlock, huh?" Sofia blinked as a young man with dark hair and the most intense blue eyes she'd ever seen stood off to the side, staring at the young girl with a scrutinizing gaze. This Dio character had on a pair of black slacks and matching boots, a somewhat dirty undershirt tucked into his pants with a red vest overlaying it, and lastly a billowing brown coat capping off his outfit. Instantly, Sofia could tell he was going to be one of the more serious types.

 _Dio was hired to protect the ship along with its crew. He had accepted it wholeheartedly since he secretly wanted to be a sailor rather than a warlock._

Sofia laughed softly. "Did _not_ see _that_ coming…"

 _He didn't appear to have a good relationship with his captain, because he grew irritated with her active and optimistic nature, as it was the exact opposite of his own due to his being isolated from time to time._

The princess shook her head as she leaned against the chaise. "What _is_ it with magical people and isolation?" She giggled.

 _However, one fateful day, things changed. A raging storm hit the crew with full force, tossing the_ _ **S.S. Esperanza**_ _back and forth on the angry sea. Esper urged everyone to get into position to steer the ship away from the storm, and everything seemed secure. But she noticed that a sail had yet to be released, so, being the stubborn girl she was, she climbed up the poles to release the sail. However, she accidentally lost her footing and slipped, falling from the high platform._

Sofia gasped and held her hands up to her eyes, peaking through them. She didn't want to see anyone hurt, especially someone so close to her age.

 _While Esper waited to feel the raging sea engulfing her, she was in for quite the surprise when that never did occur. Upon opening her eyes, she was surprised to see Dio aiming his wand in her direction, a look of determination in his blue eyes that she'd never seen before. Before she knew it, she was being levitated back onto the deck and was carefully placed into a sitting position._

The Enchancian princess let out a sigh of relief and lowered her hands. "This story is intense…"

 _Esper was about to stand when she felt a pair of warm hands grab hold of her shoulders, startling her. She looked up to see those same blue eyes, only this time they were glaring at her. Dio scolded her for being foolish and trying to get herself killed—again. Esper, feeling ashamed, apologized to everyone and also to Dio, who had yet to release her shoulders. She offered him a kind smile, and he immediately released her and tried to hide his blushing face._

Sofia laughed. "Aww. How sweet!"

 _After that incident, Esper's and Dio's relationship grew into an actual friendship, and they spent from nearly dawn to dusk together. They learned more about each other: Dio teaching her magic and Esper teaching him sparring with rapiers. Soon, their friendship began developing into something more, though they hadn't realized it until the day of Esper's eighteenth birthday._

"It's always the _eighteenth_ birthday," the young princess murmured. "Why not the twentieth? Or the nineteenth?" She snickered as the pendulum seemed to pause as she kept musing to herself. "Okay, sorry! Continue."

 _When the two were alone that evening, Dio gifted Esper an enchanted rapier: a weapon that would protect her from any harm that may befall her. Esper was so happy and delighted that she hadn't noticed she'd crushed him in one of her fierce hugs. And even though it lasted only a minute, to Dio, it seemed everlasting and he'd do nearly anything to get one of those from her again._

"This story just took a drastic turn… Didn't they hate each other two minutes ago?" She smiled and shook her head, nonetheless enthralled with the story.

 _But those happily-stolen moments couldn't last forever…_

 _A band of pirates led by a man known as Hunter attacked the_ _ **S.S. Esperanza**_ _in the middle of the night. Esper guided her crew to safety before remaining behind to hold off the pirates with the use of her new enchanted rapier. She was able to attack a few men but didn't notice the shadow creeping up behind her._

 _Dio, who had been securing the other members of the crew, returned to help Esper, only to see the most horrifying thing he'd ever seen._

Sofia gasped.

 _Esper was lying on the deck, and she didn't seem to be breathing. When he knelt to her lifeless body, he cradled her and begged her to wake up. She didn't. Heartbroken and angry, he stood and grabbed Esper's enchanted rapier, all his sorrow and pain flowing into it with one battle cry erupting from his lips. He swung the rapier, blinding everyone with a blue light. When the light disappeared, the crew of the_ _ **S.S. Esperanza**_ _was highly baffled. The band of pirates, along with Dio, had mysteriously disappeared. Esper's body and the enchanted rapier, still pulsing with a strange blue light, remained on the deck as a new storm rolled in._

Sofia blinked a few tears away and used her hands to wipe her cheeks.

 _It is important to locate the enchanted rapier and toss it back into the sea in order to allow the souls of the two friends to be at peace at last._

She sniffled before asking, "Where can I find it?"

The pendulum pulsated before demonstrating an image of a worn-down history museum near a pier. It appeared to be called Clam Shell Museum.

She gasped. "I know where that is." With a determined look, she stood up. "Okay, I just need to think of a plan…"

* * *

The next day at Royal Prep, Sofia sat in her desk, disappointment written all over her face. Despite her best efforts, she couldn't think of a plan to get the rapier from the museum. No method seemed plausible, and it was frustrating her to no end. While she pondered more on the dilemma, Ms. Flora called the class to attention.

"Children," she announced, "we have decided to take you all on a field trip this weekend, especially after having to deal with the stress of your exams. Think of this as a treat."

Sofia blinked as she finally looked up at the fairy. Wait a minute…

"Does anyone have any suggestions for a location? Remember, it must be educational."

The auburn-haired girl's hand immediately shot up. "Ms. Flora, how about we go to the Clam Shell Museum?"

"Clam Shell?" Vivian asked as she peered over to her friend, who just shrugged and grinned innocently.

Ms. Flora clapped her hands together and nodded in agreement. "Wonderful idea, Sofia! However, please keep in mind that since this museum is located close to the sea, you will need to be in a group at all times."

Sofia cheered silently, nearly doing a happy dance in her seat.

The fairy continued, "However, since we are short on staff right now, we'll need some adult chaperones on this trip. Each royal family should ask at least one member to accompany them."

Her mood dropped instantly. Her parents were currently away on a royal business journey, and the twins were bedridden at least the rest of the week with pneumonia. Luckily, she'd avoided that predicament and they were getting a little better each day, but she wished they fully recovered so she didn't have to go on this adventure by herself. Baileywick would be too busy to go with her, and he would insist on staying to take care of the twins anyway. Besides, if he did accompany her, he would probably have a panic attack if he saw the young princess handling a rapier. No, no…best to avoid mentioning anything to him at all. He couldn't know her mission.

That only left one logical person. She gulped nervously. "Mr. Cedric," she whispered to herself, seeming defeated.

It wasn't that she didn't want Cedric going with her on the field trip. In fact, she'd have a great time with her friend accompanying her—if it were _just_ a field trip… She knew better though. Cedric couldn't know about her seriously dangerous "job" of sorts. Well, one of the few she had anyway… She'd have to make an excuse; however, any time she came up with an idea, she'd dismiss it, because Cedric could likely see through each one and discover _her_ deepest secret.

Deciding here and now was not the time to ponder over her predicament, she took a deep and calming breath and told herself she'd come up with a plan during their trip.

* * *

Once school ended and she was home for the day, Sofia inquired about her siblings' state from Baileywick. The steward informed her that they were still a bit weak, but they were getting better each day. However, he didn't want her around them right now, since their immune systems were still pretty frail. She nodded in understanding and then headed off to her next stop: Cedric.

"Mr. Cedric?" she called once outside his door, her usual knock accompanying. She smiled as he opened the door and guided her inside. "I'm so glad you're here."

Cedric blinked, seeing the relieved smile on the girl's face. He then folded his arms and raised an eyebrow at her. "Out with it," he commanded. "What do you want?"

"Could you escort me on my class field trip to the Clam Shell Museum this upcoming weekend? Since Mom and Dad aren't going to be here to do it, and since Baileywick is taking care of the castle, not to mention James and Amber, I figured…" She shrugged as he eyed her curiously. "Maybe _you_ could go with me?"

He would have denied her, because the last thing he'd want to do would be to be around a bunch of spoiled royals, but he paused. The Clam Shell Museum was said to be one of mystery, and he'd heard tales of old magical items stored there, and he would love the opportunity to study them for himself… He cleared his throat and nodded. "Of course, Sofia. But just this once."

She grinned and hugged him. "That's what you said last time too."

"Clearly, I need to work on my emphatic responses then."

She giggled. "Thanks, Mr. Cedric."

* * *

On the day of the field trip, everyone from the class, their chaperones, and Ms. Flora gathered on the bottom steps of the Clam Shell Museum. The air was breezy, and the salty sea was visible just a very short distance away from the museum. Sofia had worn her sailor outfit for the occasion, feeling it was appropriate for their destination. She also had her hair tied into two low, wavy ponytails for a change. After Ms. Flora issued instructions and cautions to her class and their company, she ushered them all inside before closing the door behind them.

"Good morning, everyone," a guide greeted as he smiled at the group. His hair was graying and swept back from his face, his green eyes peering at the group before him. He wore a black undershirt, gray vest, white coat, and dark pants and shoes. His skin was lightly tanned, evidence of being in the sun often enough. "My name is Alonzo, and I will be your guide today. If you would, follow me, please."

The group did as requested, everyone murmuring to either friends or accompanying adults, pointing out different things about the museum. As they walked, Alonzo began indicating various historical artifacts.

"That right there is the Diadem of Queen Isadora," he remarked as they looked at what appeared to be a ruby-encrusted tiara. "Legend has it that the queen used it for warding off predators, until she lost it one night fleeing from one of those very people." He then gestured toward a large suit of armor behind another case. "And this is the Enchanted Suit of Sir Rogers. It aided him in every battle until his last nearly two centuries ago now."

Sofia noted with amusement as Cedric, fascinated with the information, seemed to be jotting down notes in a journal he'd brought. "Always working, aren't you?" she teased, causing him to smile.

As they neared the middle of the tour, Alonzo stopped yet again in front of what appeared to be a glass dome. He stepped aside to allow the students and their guardians to have a look inside. While everyone gasped at the contents, Sofia did so the loudest, in awe of what she saw. Inside the glass dome was a floating rapier that had a strange vivacious blue glow surrounding it.

"This is called the Enchanted Rapier of Lady Esper," the man explained to them.

Sofia's eyes widened as she paid particular attention to what he was saying, her hands grasping Cedric's robe as she did so.

"Sofia?" Cedric realized she was absorbed in the man's story, so he didn't question her further and instead turned his attention to Alonzo.

Alonzo's rendition of the rapier was nearly identical to what Sofia had heard in the Secret Library. "There are rumors that the warlock Dio's soul has been trapped inside the enchanted rapier," he added, new information to Sofia's ears. "However, no one can prove it since it only floats and pulsates this peculiar light, quite like a heartbeat, if you will. Also, if anyone were to touch it, he or she would be electrified immediately." He chuckled wryly as the group stepped back a bit. "Yeah, some crew members found that out the hard way…" He cleared his throat. "Anyway, magic wielders with wands may levitate the rapier, but that's about the only method I can think of."

"Interesting," Cedric murmured, though his attention once again turned to his apprentice as she seemed to be enthralled in the story. He'd never seen her so focused on something before.

Releasing Cedric's robe, Sofia folded one arm toward her and rested the other atop it, her chin settling on her fist. She pondered the situation. How could she talk to Alonzo without Cedric knowing and asking questions? She needed to garner permission to take the rapier for a very important reason, as crazy as it would sound. Her eyes lit up as she made a realization. She had her backpack with her, and inside was her training wand. Grinning to herself, she felt relieved. So she had a means and a method…now she just needed the opportunity.

A little while later, near noon when everyone had paused for some lunch, one of the students pointed out the window. Curious, everyone looked out to see that the sky had begun darkening, and a thick fog was starting to envelop the pier.

Cedric frowned, sensing danger. He grabbed Sofia's hand and began pulling her backwards. "Come on, Sofia," he told her calmly, so as not to worry her.

"Mr. Cedric?" she asked, confused. "What's wrong?"

Alonzo, also sensing danger, announced clearly, "Everyone, do not ask why and do not hesitate. We must leave the museum immediately. Now!"

Without giving it a second thought, surprisingly enough, the crowd of students, as well as their chaperones and anyone else who happened to be in the museum at that time, hurriedly left the building. At the end of the crowd were Cedric and Sofia, the latter of whom was reluctant to leave since she needed to get the rapier. Soon enough, it was only the three of them remaining in the museum. Just as she was about to ask Alonzo, who'd come up near them, for permission to take the artifact, a loud crash came from the side, a window shattering and glass scattering about the floor.

A rough-looking bunch of men, whom Alonzo swiftly and agitatedly described as pirates, entered the building. They had some sort of eerie red aura surrounding them, the two friends noticed. Seeing as there was no time to run, Cedric, now wielding his family wand for a change, stood in front of Sofia along with Alonzo, who'd grabbed two swords from the magical artifacts.

Cedric glanced anxiously at the other man. "What's going on?"

The guide sighed heavily as he clutched the swords tighter. "Every year, this band of pirates crashes the museum and steals all the powerful artifacts. They used to try to steal the Enchanted Rapier of Lady Esper, but they failed to do so as each pirate who tried got electrocuted. Oddly enough, when they did, they'd lose their memories of being pirates and they would run away in terror instead." He turned to the sorcerer and frowned. "I know it sounds odd, but it's true. I was tasked with protecting the museum along with the rapier each year. However, I didn't predict that they would attack _today_ of all days, with a bunch of royals here…" He was about to say more, but he heard a loud, gravelly voice yell out a command.

"Attack and rob!" a man, evidently the captain of the pirates, ordered as he pointed his sword forward.

Cedric glanced behind him, noticing Sofia was still there. "Stay back, Sofia," he instructed as he turned to face the oncoming threat. He released attack spell after attack spell against the men as Alonzo beat down one of the pirates with his dual magical swords.

Observing the situation, the captain of the pirates scowled in Cedric's direction as he took down another of his crew members. "Grr…" He then looked behind the sorcerer and noticed a young girl, who seemed as if she were contemplating whether to step in and help or not. He smirked and faded into the shadows as the battle continued.

The fighting continued, and after taking down the final pirate, Cedric cheered silently at the success. However, he froze and felt chills course through his body when he heard a familiar scream behind him. He turned, Alonzo doing the same, and saw the captain raising his own sword toward a horror-stricken Sofia. His heart dropped, and he couldn't think fast enough as the pirate's sword soared down toward his apprentice. "Sofia!"

In a split second before her impending doom, Sofia's GuardoRing released a powerful shield and surrounded her, protecting her from harm, much to the captain's chagrin. He growled as the sword broke as a result of colliding with the impenetrable protective shell.

Cedric released the breath he didn't realize he was holding as his free hand clutched his chest, his heart pounding. She was safe… His breathing intensified from anger, though, and he pointed his family wand toward the captain in an attempt to release an attack spell when he felt arms grab hold of him, and he dropped the wand in response. "Let me go!" he demanded as he noticed that a member of the once-thought defeated pirate crew had grabbed him. Looking to the side, he noticed Alonzo in a similar predicament, his limbs flailing as he attempted to free himself.

To Cedric's horror, the captain smirked and walked forward to pick up his family wand. Swooping up the item, he smirked and waved it around, releasing a blast of power toward the middle of the museum.

To Alonzo's shock, the captain managed to levitate the museum's prized possession, the Enchanted Rapier of Lady Esper, in his direction. "No!"

The captain, satisfied, looked down at Sofia, who was still encased in the shield. He chuckled darkly and used the wand to levitate her as well—shield and all.

"No, put me down!" Sofia yelled, her fists beating against the barrier.

Panicking, Cedric tried to thrash his way out of the pirate's clutches, but the captor shoved him down and watched as his captain, who had both Sofia and the rapier at this point, began to walk away with both of them. Cedric shouted, "What do you want with the princess?!"

The captain paused and smirked, turning to face the sorcerer. Seeing Cedric was glaring at him, he returned the glare as he spoke, "I sense she has some powerful magic about her, and she could be a key in unlocking the powers of the Enchanted Rapier of Lady Esper." He chuckled evilly. "Worth a try anyway, right?" With that said, he turned and continued his trek, disappearing into the thick fog with both the rapier and Sofia, who was desperately calling out to Cedric until she, too, disappeared.

The pirates holding onto Cedric and Alonzo suddenly vanished into thin air.

Angry, distraught, pained, dismayed… All these emotions coursed through him. Cedric's mind was filled with furious fits of anguish as he realized Sofia was gone, not to mention his family wand, and he didn't know how to get either back. He fisted his hands by his sides. "SOFIA!"

To be continued…


	2. Shanghaied Sofia

Piercing Blue

Summary: Sofia is summoned to the Secret Library to help finish a story about a fallen warlock and imminent captain, though she couldn't possibly anticipate the roles she and Cedric will be forced to play while trying to offer others a happy ending. *Summary proposed by and artwork by MarionetteJ2X*

Disclaimer: I don't own the show! The original characters, the plotline, and the artwork all belong to MarionetteJ2X. 😊

A/N: Okay, guys! Here's chapter 2! You'll get to learn a bit more about Alonzo as well as what has happened with Sofia. By the way, for now, the rest of the group from Royal Prep is in another safe location. You'll see them again at the end of the story. 😉 Enjoy!

*Story*

Chapter 2: Shanghaied Sofia

After what felt like an eternity of just staring at nothingness, Cedric finally snapped back to reality as everything came crashing down on him. Sofia had been kidnapped, and he was just standing there, gawking at empty space, doing nothing about it. Quickly, he turned to Alonzo, who seemed to be having difficulties.

The museum guide had to lean against the wall, as he'd been injured during his effort of fighting off the pirates. He looked a little worse for wear, but truthfully, it could have been worse. Just as he was attempting to stand to his full height, he felt an arm on his back. He glanced toward Cedric, who seemed to be aiding him. However, just as he was about to say something, he silenced himself as he saw the blazing anger and fierce determination in the sorcerer's eyes as he led him out of the museum and onto the steps leading to the entrance, where they sat down.

"Who were those pirates?" Cedric asked instantly, his focus solely on the man before him and what he may know of his friend's whereabouts. He attempted to channel his fear for the fate of his dear apprentice into something more productive—like getting her back.

Alonzo appeared skeptical, but he drew in a deep breath as he saw the look of desperation on the younger sorcerer's features. "Those pirates actually used to not be much of a threat many years ago," he began. "They were not really good at their 'occupation,' so to speak. Truly, they couldn't even harm a single hair on anyone's head, and stealing treasures?" He scoffed dismissively. "Not exactly their best abilities. Therefore, people called them the band of misfits instead." He noticed Cedric's confused look and shook his head. "The strangest thing about these misfits? A few years ago, something…changed. Everyone around here was shocked, and they grew afraid of the 'misfits' who were now beginning to terrorize the town. Many lives were lost. Food became scarce, and many things were stolen from every home."

Cedric took in all this information quietly as he listened to the guide's tale.

"When I heard about this, I took extra precautions and tightened the security within the proximity of the museum. If there's one thing pirates love to steal, it's historical and magical items. However, even the strongest of security couldn't withstand their force. They took nearly everything in the museum." He sighed and winced slightly as he felt a sharp pain in his side, but he ignored it for the time being. "The captain, whom you clearly saw in there, took interest in the prized rapier and attempted to steal it. But, as I told you and the others previously, anyone who attempts to touch the rapier will be electrocuted. Therefore, he ordered his crew to do it for him, to avoid such a… _disastrous_ outcome himself." He frowned. "Anyone who tried had their memories wiped clear of piracy, and they ran away in fear."

Absorbing all the details, Cedric finally asked, "Alonzo, have you ever tried to follow those pirates into their ship or wherever they go, if you've been aware of their presence all these years?"

Alonzo began to respond, but he noticed a certain look in Cedric's eyes. "You aren't thinking…what I think you're thinking…" He frowned. "No! No, I'm sorry for what happened to the girl, but it would be dangerous to go facing a band of pirates without any type of weapon. It's foolish to even suggest such a thing."

Cedric scowled at the man, his anger welling up within him. "My best friend has just been taken by some so-called pirates, and I'm not leaving here without her."

They sat there for a few moments, glaring at each other. Neither one wanted to give into the other: one fearing the worst for his princess and the other fearing the worst for their own safety.

Alonzo finally sighed, giving in. "Fine. I'll show you the way, _but_ I'm coming as well. I am quite sure you'll need my help anyway."

Cedric nodded and helped the older man to his feet. "I'm Cedric, by the way."

"I gathered," he admitted, having heard the young girl screaming his name earlier. "Come along, Cedric." With that, he led the sorcerer away.

* * *

Alonzo took it upon himself to guide Cedric to his own home, which was rather close to the museum. His home was like any other: comfy enough and the right temperature, but unlike most homes, there was a large amount of weaponry on his walls. Sensing Cedric's curiosity, Alonzo explained, "I was once a blacksmith and a sword tutor to those who wished to learn from me. I stopped, though, once my father passed away and the museum was passed along to me." He shrugged. "I wasn't necessarily against it, because I really enjoy the history of the museum. I had also always been especially curious about the history of Lady Esper's enchanted rapier; every time I went near it, it made me feel…warm."

"Warm?" Cedric asked, frowning.

"It would keep creating this blue light, as you all saw, illuminating the dull museum. In a way, it was almost as if I were standing next to a person, even though no one was there." He folded his arms. "Honestly, I thought maybe—just maybe—the soul of the warlock Dio might be preserved within the rapier of Esper." He frowned as Cedric scoffed at the absurdity of the suggestion. " _He_ was the one who created it for her, Cedric, so it must have been connected to him somehow…" He sighed. "I became so fascinated by the rapier that I took an oath to protect it and, perhaps, whatever life may still reside within it."

While skeptical, Cedric had decided to pay attention to what the older man said. In fact, he'd been attentive yet faltered a bit when Alonzo said he'd taken an oath to 'protect' the rapier. That word… He sighed heavily to himself. He was so disappointed in himself that he wasn't able to protect Sofia from being taken away by pirates. What sort of _guardian_ was he?

Alonzo noticed Cedric's dismayed features and decided to try to aid in alleviating his guilt. "Cedric, I assure you, I'll help you get the princess back, or I'll die trying." He smiled.

Cedric blinked in surprise but finally returned the smile, appreciative of his words. "We will get her back, Alonzo, and _live_."

Alonzo nodded his direction before walking to his wall, pulling down a couple of his prized swords. He held one aloft in his left hand and attempted to pass the other to Cedric, who declined his offer and instead fished out his other purple wand from his robe. The older man gaped at him. " _Why_ didn't you use that earlier when we were being attacked?!"

Cedric gaped at the wand before smiling sheepishly at the other man. "I…totally forgot about it due to the stress of the moment?"

The guide offered him a deadpanned look before rolling his eyes as Cedric used his wand to levitate the swords. He squinted his eyes momentarily before taking two steps forward, grabbing Cedric by the back of his robe.

Cedric yelped in surprise as he lost his concentration, the levitation spell ceasing and the swords clanging to the floor. He was about to give Alonzo an earful about 'never sneaking up on a sorcerer,' like he used to do with Sofia, when he was quickly silenced.

"You can't wear that robe where we're going," he declared seriously. "We're basically heading into a battle."

The sorcerer frowned. "I always wear my robe, whether in combat or in brewing potions. I'm a _sorcerer_."

He shook his head and responded, "Not in _this_ situation. You need to change." He noticed that Cedric was about to protest until he shoved him toward a clothing room. "I've kept clothes in here for disguises."

" _Why_ do you need clothes for disguises?" Cedric then shook his head and made a face. "Never mind. I don't want to know." He took in a deep breath as Alonzo shut the door behind him. Kneeling down, he noted a chest full of what appeared to be pirate clothing and groaned in dismay. "Perfect…"

* * *

Meanwhile, somewhere beyond the foggy shore, Sofia, still in her unbreakable shield and levitating alongside Esper's rapier, tried using her training wand from her backpack to see if she could break free from the GuardoRing's magic, but to no avail. She sighed. Sometimes, she sort of wished Cedric's magic wasn't _that_ powerful… She was about to attempt yet another spell with her wand before hearing footsteps on the sand. She quickly hid the wand behind her as the captain of the pirates emerged from the fog and gave her a spine-chilling smirk.

"Pathetic," he snarled with a dark laugh. "Attempting to escape with that weak wand is futile, little princess."

Sofia gasped as she felt her wand levitated out of her hands and into the captain's free hand. She noticed that in the other he held Cedric's family wand. "That's Mr. Cedric's wand! You stole it!"

He chuckled. "I know that this wand possesses quite powerful magic, lass. Knew it the moment I laid my eyes on it."

"It doesn't belong to you!"

The captain scoffed and rolled his eyes. "It does _now_." He smirked as she whimpered when he used Cedric's family wand to levitate her and the enchanted rapier in his direction.

Sofia breathed unevenly at first before staring at the rapier next to her. She looked toward the pirate captain once before returning her gaze to the rapier, realizing it was pulsating that blue light again, though a bit more rapidly than it had been doing in the museum. Although uneasy, she felt warm and calm next to it, almost as if it were ensuring her that everything would be all right. Like she was…protected. Odd. She snapped out of her reverie when the captain stopped in front of a thicker fog; though she was about to question him, she found that she didn't have to.

Before them blew a sudden gust of wind, which cleared the fog and provided a clear viewing of a huge, run-down pirate ship before them. She frowned as she felt a vague sense of déjà vu, as if she'd seen the ship before somewhere. Her thoughts were again cut off as she realized they were boarding the ship. Silently, she closed her eyes and hoped against all hope that Cedric was okay and would come find her… That thought in her mind, her GuardoRing began glowing.

* * *

Back at Alonzo's home, the museum guide was staring in awe at Cedric's wand, which was glowing in the center of his table. "Um, Cedric? Your wand is doing something weird…"

Immediately, Cedric bounded out of the clothing room dressed in a new outfit. His familiar robes were gone for now, replaced instead by pirate clothing of sorts: a dirty white shirt, black slacks and matching boots, strips of cloth over his hands where his fingerless gloves would normally be, a purple bandana tied around his head, and a long purple sash tied around his waist.

Alonzo was about to compliment the sorcerer on his new choice of clothing when Cedric ran straight past him and grabbed his wand, scrutinizing it. "What's going on?"

Cedric held his glowing wand tightly to his chest, hoping that his apprentice was unharmed, and whispered, "I'll save you, Sofia… I promise." He turned to the older man. "My wand is connected to Sofia. She must be in danger. We must go quickly."

Wasting no time, Alonzo nodded his affirmation and quickly changed into his own set of pirate clothing in the changing room before packing up the swords he'd taken down. "Let's go."

With that, they both hurried out of the house and toward the shore, unaware of the danger that awaited them.

To be continued…


	3. Divide and Conquer

Piercing Blue

Summary: Sofia is summoned to the Secret Library to help finish a story about a fallen warlock and imminent captain, though she couldn't possibly anticipate the roles she and Cedric will be forced to play while trying to offer others a happy ending. *Summary proposed by and artwork by MarionetteJ2X*

Disclaimer: I don't own the show! The original characters, the plotline, and the artwork all belong to MarionetteJ2X. 😊

A/N: Dun-Dun-Dun! Last time, on "Piercing Blue…" lol JK. Anyway, now we're getting to the core of the story, with Cedric and Alonzo coming face-to-face with this bad-guy pirate dude. (Forgive me. It's currently 2:34 AM as I'm writing this, and my caffeine high is spiking. Haha) Anyway! Hope you enjoy! 😉

*Story*

Chapter 3: Divide and Conquer

Eventually, both Alonzo and Cedric made it to the strangely foggy beach on the other side of the museum. Cedric took note of the bizarre shift in the weather: from sunny to stormy almost instantly. Both shivered as a cold wind blew past them, ruffling their clothing.

"Follow me," Alonzo declared, leading him behind a large boulder as they heard footsteps crunching on the sand and heading in their direction. "Shh."

As quietly as they could, both peeked around the boulder and noticed the previous pirate crew walking in a strange manner, right past their hiding spot. They seemed to practically sway left to right, which was a really odd sight to see. It was almost as if they weren't themselves.

Alonzo quietly signaled Cedric to follow the crew, and they did so, ducking from one boulder to the next. Once the pirates stopped in their tracks in front of the thick fog, so did the guide and sorcerer. Soon enough, they hid behind a final boulder just ten feet away from the other men.

Both Cedric and Alonzo held their breath as a gust of wind blew in their direction, dispelling the thick fog to show a large, looming pirate ship. The crew climbed onto the ship, unaware that they were quietly being followed.

Cedric and Alonzo successfully boarded the old ship and hid themselves behind numerous barrels to remain out of sight. Both attentively listened as they heard the captain's booming voice, ordering his crew to set sail for Osseus Island.

Alonzo's eyes widened, and he lowered even farther behind the barrels.

Cedric gave the older man a bewildered glance before copying his motions. "What's the matter?" He blinked as Alonzo unsheathed his swords.

He cast a worried glance toward the sorcerer. "Osseus Island is a dangerous place. It was once occupied by the most ruthless of pirates named Hunter a hundred years ago." He frowned. "All the ill-gotten treasures are now on that island, along with prisoners he's taken in the past."

Cedric did not want to ponder on what happened to those 'prisoners,' for fear that might be his apprentice's same fate. He shivered at the very thought. And then, something clicked in Cedric's mind as he remembered Alonzo's tale at the museum a while ago. "The name Hunter," he remarked, getting the other man's attention. "That was the one who slew Esper and battled Dio those hundred years ago, right?"

"Yes." He frowned in confusion. "What do you-?" He ceased his train of thought and froze as a dark chuckle erupted from the other side of the barrels, their hiding spot given away as said barrels went rolling across the deck.

Cedric and Alonzo immediately sprang into battle stances as the captain's red eyes glared at the two. However, when he started to cackle, the two didn't take too kindly to it.

"What in Merlin's name is so funny?" Cedric demanded, glaring at him. "Where is Sofia?"

The wicked man stopped cackling as he watched Cedric withdrawing and aiming his purple wand toward him. He smirked in amusement. "I've not done anything to the princess… _yet_." He chuckled evilly as Alonzo had to hold Cedric back from attacking him. "I'm impressed how much magic such a small girl contains, and I'm going to use her to unlock the powers of the rapier and get my revenge at last."

"You keep your filthy hands off her!" Cedric ordered furiously, annoyed that Alonzo wouldn't allow him to advance on the pirate captain.

Still standing before Cedric so he wouldn't make any rash decisions, Alonzo asked the captain, "Just why are you so worked up and bent on stealing the rapier anyway?" He knew very well magic wasn't the only thing he was after…

The captain smirked again as he noted the museum guide's quick observation. "I aim to get my revenge on that blasted warlock who imprisoned me all these years. He's going to get what's coming to him."

Cedric finally pushed Alonzo aside enough to glare at the captain, his wand aimed the wicked man's way as he decided to test some theories. "I'm guessing the reason we're heading to that Osseus Island place is because Hunter and his crew are the only ones who can access that location…" He frowned, making the ultimate connection. "And because you _are_ Hunter."

Alonzo gaped at Cedric. "What? How-? Who?"

The captain glowered at Cedric and snarled. "You ask too many questions." He stepped back and pointed toward the two stowaways. "Men, attack!"

Ignoring his urge to further question Cedric, Alonzo gathered both of his swords again and began attacking left and right, kicking and punching pirates as needed.

Cedric utilized some attack spells before building a purple aura on his wand to create a makeshift sword. He smirked in satisfaction as it worked, and he joined Alonzo in his quest.

As they continued battling, the captain raised one hand and snapped his fingers, producing both the magic-encased princess and the ever-glowing rapier side by side.

Sofia yelped as she fell onto the deck next to the rapier, the magic of her GuardoRing and Cedric's family wand cut off in the process. She blinked when she realized she was no longer in the dark, dreary atmosphere of the cabin that the man had sealed her in earlier, but instead she was up on deck of the old ship. Her eyes widened as she saw both Cedric and Alonzo battling some of the pirate crew members. She was relieved upon seeing her mentor and, without thinking, called out to him. "Mr. Cedric!"

"Sofia?" Cedric, who'd just knocked down another pirate, turned swiftly upon hearing the princess's voice. He was too focused on her and didn't notice a pirate advancing toward him.

"Mr. Cedric, look out!"

He turned only to see the pirate reach forward and punch him in the stomach, causing him to fall forward onto his knees in pain. His arms instinctively reached to his stomach and clutched it as he looked toward Sofia, who appeared horrified, and then he looked toward Alonzo, who was still fighting.

While incapacitated, a pirate snatched Cedric's wand and snapped it in half. As he was in too much pain, he didn't pay much attention to his broken wand or to the princess who was currently running toward him, the rapier—strangely enough—floating along behind her. Cedric's startled brown eyes widened when he realized his apprentice was standing in front of him now, her arms outstretched as she attempted to protect him. "S-Sofia…"

The captain smirked at the girl's actions and produced Cedric's family wand, aiming it at both of them. "Time to say goodbye, Princess."

Cedric noticed that the girl stood her ground, though honestly, this time…he wished she hadn't. "Sofia, please, run."

She glanced over her shoulder at him and shook her head. "You're my friend, and I'm not letting you get hurt, Mr. Cedric." Thinking quickly, she held up her right arm and, activating her Enchantlet, used it as a lasso. She tossed it forward and snatched the family wand from the pirate captain, who was baffled by the quick action. Sofia caught it in her arms and hugged it to herself, glaring at the captain who was also glaring daggers at her, releasing a red aura on his palms. "You'll never again use a great sorcerer's wand for evil! _I_ won't let you!"

Cedric, now kneeling behind her, was touched by her words. "Sofia…"

The captain cackled at the mediocrity of the two friends and raised his glowing red hand high into the air.

The sorcerer gasped. He recognized that type of power… "Dark Magic," he murmured, his blood running cold. It was as if the world around them slowed to a crawl as the captain released a red blast of energy toward Sofia. Cedric could hear Alonzo's desperate call toward them, telling them to run, but they were both seemingly frozen in place from fear.

Sofia closed her eyes, bracing for the impact and remaining firmly in front of her friend, protecting him…this one last time.

Cedric snapped out of it and, without thinking and merely acting on instinct, snatched the rapier that had been hovering next to Sofia and slid quickly in front of her. He raised it toward the blast of red energy and, when the two made contact, a blinding blue light was released.

The captain, Sofia, and the others on the ship had to cover their eyes upon impact.

When the blue light dimmed, Sofia raised her head and gasped as she saw Cedric on his feet in front of her, facing the captain, who was recovering from the temporary blindness of the light. The enchanted rapier was clutched tightly in Cedric's hand, and it was now releasing one steady glow of blue light.

The princess shakily stood up, still clutching Cedric's family wand to herself. "Mr. Cedric, are you all right?" She blinked as he simply remained standing still, his breathing rather calm and steady. Apparently, he hadn't heard her? She then covered her mouth in shock as she recalled an important piece of information about the rapier that Alonzo had divulged back at the museum…

" _Every year, this band of pirates crashes the museum and steals all the powerful artifacts. They used to try to steal the Enchanted Rapier of Lady Esper, but they failed to do so as each pirate who tried got electrocuted. Oddly enough, when they did, they'd lose their memories of being pirates and they would run away in terror instead."_

A small hiccup escaped from Sofia's throat as she attempted to hold back her tears. Cedric's memories couldn't be erased… Not here… Not now… She was frustrated as one tear did escape, but she ignored it, instead focused on her friend. "Mr. Cedric, _please_ , answer me!" She froze as her mentor turned to her, and her eyes widened as she noticed a small smile gracing his face.

"It's all right, little one." That voice…wasn't Cedric's. It was different.

Sofia took a step toward him as he fully turned in her direction. Her shock was still plastered on her face as she stared into Cedric's…piercing _blue_ eyes?!

To be continued…


	4. Piercing Blue

Piercing Blue

Summary: Sofia is summoned to the Secret Library to help finish a story about a fallen warlock and imminent captain, though she couldn't possibly anticipate the roles she and Cedric will be forced to play while trying to offer others a happy ending. *Summary proposed by and artwork by MarionetteJ2X*

Disclaimer: I don't own the show! The original characters, the plotline, and the artwork all belong to MarionetteJ2X. 😊

A/N: Last chapter! :D Let's see if some theories can be verified here. 😉 Enjoy!

*Story*

Chapter 4: Piercing Blue

Sofia blinked once, twice, three times, but…what she was seeing was unreal. She'd been staring at Cedric's _blue eyes_ for a whole minute. Finally, she snapped back to reality and found her voice. "Mr. Cedric?"

Her uncertain voice calling out his name got his attention. Those blue eyes twinkled in amusement as he knelt before Sofia, who, in turn, took a step back.

"I'm…not Cedric, little one." Though the voice was different, it was still a comforting sensation to Sofia, which was odd. He smiled and reached toward the girl, caressing her hair gently and causing her to shy away a bit, her cheeks tinged pink. "I—"

The captain snarled angrily, causing the two to turn in his direction. The man had finally recovered from the temporary blindness, and he relinquished his anger for a moment to smirk in amusement toward the friends. "It's been a while," he remarked knowingly, the smirk twitching on his face. "A whole hundred years, eh?"

Cedric—er, the stranger inhabiting Cedric's body, anyway—returned the sentiment, though he held a deep frown on his face as his blue eyes stared at the captain with a stormy glare.

Sofia was confused. She was attempting to calculate everything that had happened so far. The captain, the rapier, the blue eyes, and… _one hundred years_? She then gasped, her hand covering her mouth as she slowly turned her head toward the person beside her. "It can't be him," she whispered to herself as Cedric's body stood to his full height and faced the captain. He couldn't possibly be the warlock who'd disappeared a hundred years ago, could he?

Still staring at him with a worried look, Sofia whispered a name that only the one next to her could hear. "Mr. Dio?"

Cedric's body turned slightly, giving her a small smile and a nod to confirm her suspicions. Cedric—no, Dio—then tightened his grip on the rapier, which was emitting a cool blue aura that caused Sofia to shiver. He turned to Alonzo. "You may want to hide yourself and the little one here. Things are going to get a bit…ugly."

Confused, Alonzo merely nodded slowly in response as he attempted to beckon Sofia toward him.

Sofia shook her head and stood firm behind Dio, asking, "What happened to Mr. Cedric?"

"He is safe within the confines of his own mind," Dio replied gently. "And in his heart." He glanced back toward Sofia, those blue eyes offering her reassurance, yet he realized she still hadn't left his side. Clearly, she was worried about this Cedric person and wanted nothing more than to protect him… "Little one—"

"Sofia," she corrected, sighing. "My name is Sofia."

"Sofia," he amended with a nod as the captain was shouting at the crew members to prepare to attack. "Listen, I'll explain everything after this. Right now, my main priority is the safety of you and your friend over there." He gestured toward Alonzo. "Please leave it to me."

Sofia still appeared reluctant, but she stepped back and whispered, "Be careful, Mr. Dio." She then ran over toward Alonzo, who carefully took her arm and led her behind a large pole, where they both remained for the time being.

The captain cackled loudly as he watched Dio settle into a fighting stance. "It's futile, warlock!" he teased, a sneer on his face. "It's one against oh-so-many!" He laughed and gestured widely, indicating his crew members.

Dio smirked and chuckled. "Remember our last encounter? Do you recall what happened to you _and_ your crew, Captain?"

The old man growled in anger, remembering quite well how everything had gone down. "Attack!"

* * *

Meanwhile, lost within the confines of his own mind, Cedric awoke to take in his surroundings. His baffled brown eyes searched up, down, left, and right, yet everything was too obscure to make any proper determinations or distinctions… However, there appeared to be a large view of what seemed to be the outside directly in front of him. Rubbing his temples, he attempted to remember what had happened.

He then gasped, standing up quickly. "Where's Sofia?!" He frowned. "All I remember is…that captain trying to send a blast at Sofia, and I merely acted on instinct and grabbed that rapier…to protect her." He rubbed the side of his head, recalling how the rapier had given out a bright light… But that was _all_ he could remember, and now here he was, in this strange place. "I forgot that blasted rapier was enchanted."

"It's okay," a voice soothed, causing Cedric to panic a bit. "Calm down… You've not lost your memories, if that's what you're worried about, and your princess is safe."

Relief flooded Cedric momentarily, but his senses were still on full alert. "Who are you?" he demanded.

A sudden flash of light filled the space. Cedric, who yelped in surprise, took a step backwards as he saw another form appearing beside him.

A man with black hair, his height, and piercing blue eyes was staring right back at him. He seemed to be slightly floating in place, his body glowing in a soft blue light as he smiled at Cedric, causing the sorcerer to relax a bit. "My name is Dio," the man declared simply.

Cedric blinked in surprise. "Oh… I'm…Cedric."

Dio chuckled in amusement.

"Um…Dio, where am I?"

"You're in the confines of your own mind." He chuckled at the gaping sorcerer before him. "I assure you that everything outside is fine so far."

Cedric raised an eyebrow at that statement. How could he possibly know what was happening outside when he (Cedric) was right there…? Unless… He gave the warlock a deadpanned look, receiving a sheepish smile in return. "A one-hundred-year-old warlock is possessing my body?!"

He'd expected such a reaction, and Dio waved his hands in a disarming manner toward the sorcerer, who now appeared ready to issue him a lecture. "Listen, I'll take care of everything. Besides, it's also my duty."

Calming himself, Cedric folded his arms as he observed the solemn features of the other magic wielder. "What do you mean by that?"

"I created that rapier you just held to protect the princess—your friend—from harm," he explained gently. "I originally made it to protect _my_ best friend. I used every protection spell and battle spell on that weapon to guarantee her safety when we were traveling on the sea..." He sighed. "But for some reason, everything fell apart the day Esper died." He frowned as Cedric continued listening. "The rapier has the power to alert its wielder of any danger, so it's baffling to me that Hunter was able to harm her without being detected."

Cedric raised one hand to pause the warlock in his story. "This Hunter person who was clearly possessing that captain's body was able to utilize dark magic," he informed him, remembering his analysis earlier when he'd seen that dark aura around the old man.

Dio gritted his teeth angrily. "I figured that out when he released that blast toward that girl—Sofia. And in that instant, I knew what I had to do." He turned to look at the view outside, as did Cedric. Each could see the captain ordering his crew to prepare for battle. Dio looked back at Cedric. "I have to go fight that monster before it's too late."

The sorcerer was still skeptical, having someone else's soul possessing his body and all. However… "If you're able to protect Sofia and Alonzo from harm, then…by all means, do so." He frowned. "And don't damage my body!"

Dio grinned and nodded in agreement before closing his eyes in concentration.

Cedric stared at Dio for a moment before looking back at the scene outside, where he could see his own body moving: a rapier with a blue aura in his hand. "Hmm."

* * *

On the outside, the captain's order for his crew to attack was heeded, all the men now advancing on their enemies.

Dio, fully possessing Cedric's body, glared ahead as he sprinted toward them, his rapier firmly clutched in his hand.

Sofia, who was still hiding with Alonzo behind the large ship pole, gaped in shock as she watched Cedri—err, Dio—take down one pirate after another. She couldn't take her eyes off the scene. Since when was Cedric's body able to do such moves at such a quick pace? And—since when could he do _flips_?! The princess was overwhelmed as she observed the scene, holding onto the pole for support and attempting to calm her poor nervous heart as it pounded in fear for his wellbeing. "Be careful, Mr. Dio… _and_ Mr. Cedric."

Dio sidestepped one pirate, who'd launched himself toward him. He used the head of his rapier to knock out the fallen miscreant, which rendered him unconscious, much to the captain's displeasure. Now face to face with Hunter himself, with a pile of unconscious pirates at their feet, Dio prepared himself to attack when he paused and noticed Hunter collecting enough energy to cast a dark spell…to his surprise.

* * *

On the inside of his mind, Cedric seemed rather impressed. He had to hand it to himself, in a manner of speaking… His body might have been a bit lanky, but he never thought it could have handled such action. Flips?! Don't even get him started. Oh, if only all those who'd teased him when he was younger could see him now…

Returning to the main issue before him, Cedric noticed with a look of panic that Hunter appeared to be casting a dark spell; however, his panic grew as he saw that his body was… _not moving_. Why wasn't he moving?! He looked back toward Dio's concentrating form next to him, noticing the warlock appeared a bit troubled. Since he was unable to hear Cedric, the sorcerer instead raised his hands and clasped them over the warlock's shoulders in order to get his attention. The contact caused a sharp spark to shoot through Cedric, and before he knew it, he was floating and glowing purple beside Dio as the warlock lost consciousness altogether.

* * *

On the outside, Sofia glanced worriedly at Alonzo and then back at Dio. "Why isn't he moving?" she asked in concern, her grip tightening on Cedric's family wand. "Oh, I wish Mr. Cedric could take over right now… He knows how to counter dark magic!"

As if on cue, Cedric's body shook, his head shaking back and forth slowly. However, his eyes were still tightly closed. A few moments later, one eye opened to reveal a brown orb. Cedric was back…sort of. He glanced at Hunter, who was murmuring the last words of his spell. Acting quickly, he faced the hiding spot of Alonzo and Sofia, calling to the princess, "Sofia, my wand! Quickly!"

Sofia perked up at hearing her mentor's familiar and more than welcome voice, squealing in delight, "You're back!" She grinned and did as he asked, tossing the wand to him and making a relieved sound as he caught it. "Yes!"

Just as Hunter released his spell, Cedric, now holding his family wand in his left hand and the rapier in his right, murmured a counter spell. He sincerely hoped his trajectory was on point, seeing as he was only using one eye at the moment. Releasing his own counter spell, he smirked as the dark spell diminished in thin air, much to Hunter's aggravation. "Ha!"

"Grr!" the captain snarled.

Cedric smiled triumphantly but froze as his head shook again, his eyes closing before the other eye opened, revealing that distinctive shade of blue. A moment later, his other eye opened again, brown as ever.

Sofia, from her position, gaped in surprise at her mentor. "No way…" His eyes were now two different shades: brown on the right and blue on the left…* (See note at end for an explanation.)

Cedric's mouth opened, but Dio's voice was the one speaking. "Why am I here?"

Cedric's annoyed voice retorted, "You were just frozen in place while the enemy nearly killed me—us! Whatever! You're a warlock; you should have seen that coming from a dark magic wielder."

Dio's voice sarcastically responded, "Not all can counter dark spells."

The two voices continued arguing and debating, weirdly enough in the same body. Everyone seemed to be confused. Sofia rubbed her temples in frustration, Alonzo hid his face and sighed at the sheer absurdity of the situation, and Hunter just stood there…blinking at the scene before him.

"Hey!" Sofia called, getting both Dio's and Cedric's attention. "Enough is enough, you guys. Pay attention to the situation at hand and stop arguing!"

Alonzo found the whole scenario hilarious: a preteen princess scolding an adult possessed by two souls. He was even more entertained as he realized Cedric's body had his head lowered, his arms behind his back, and his foot kicking patterns on the floorboards in evident shame. Guilt seemed to be written all over his—their?—face(s). "This day can't possibly get any weirder," he muttered to himself.

Hunter finally snapped out of his dazed state and realized his opponent was distracted. He smirked and grabbed a sword, aiming it toward the princess.

Sofia stopped scolding the two as she heard the sound of a blade slicing through the air, coming directly toward her. "AHH!"

Quickly, Cedric and Dio worked together and moved directly in front of the girl, swinging the rapier toward the oncoming sword and slicing it in half.

Hunter grunted as Cedric's body tackled him to the creaky floor, the family wand aimed at his face, both blue and brown eyes blazing in anger. When they finally spoke, their voices were in sync. "Stop," the ordered together.

Hunter scoffed and offered them the same glare. "I will not stop until I get my revenge on Dio for cursing me!"

Cedric's voice asked, "What curse was it?" Clearly, he was addressing Dio now.

Dio's voice responded, "I cursed him to be a bodiless soul for all eternity after he destroyed Esper. It took a great deal of magic and energy to curse him. My body was so drained that I let my rapier absorb my soul to recollect my lost energy. While my own body may be long gone, my soul will continue to live on."

Hunter cackled outrageously after hearing Dio's admission to Cedric. "You know what I find pathetic? The fact that you were stupid enough to sacrifice your life for a useless woman."

Dio, enraged, grabbed Hunter by his coat and pounded him against the floorboard as hard as he could, noting when the captain groaned in pain. "That 'useless woman' was my best friend, you arrogant _pillock_! I won't let some pirate who killed her insult her memory in such a foul way!"

"Dio, calm down," Cedric insisted, taking over again. "We need to release Hunter's soul from the captain's body before he harms anyone else—namely, _my_ best friend." He turned to look toward Sofia, noting that her hands were folded over her heart, her eyes soft and a gentle smile forming on her face…for _both_ of them. "She's worried about both of us…"

Dio sighed, replying, "If you know any spell, by all means, do it. I want this to be over."

Cedric pondered for a moment as he looked back at the panic-stricken Hunter. A smirk spread across his face. "Close your eyes, Dio. I've got it." With both of them concentrating, he recited a long-forgotten soul extraction spell…

 _From within the depths, release this soul_

 _Return it where it needs to go_

 _Cleanse the host and start anew_

 _All negativity, eschew_

Hunter shouted in terror as his soul was extracted from the captain's body.

With a flick of his family wand, Cedric encapsulated the evil spirit in a bubble. Dio, on the other hand, raised his rapier as it began pulsating again. Both sorcerer and warlock raised their wand and rapier, murmuring a destruction spell and slicing the bubble in half, permanently dispelling the spirit of Captain Hunter.

The fog around the ship began vanishing, revealing a lovely sunset on the sea.

Sofia and Alonzo, both relieved, released sighs of relief and cheered for the completion of the dilemma.

Both Cedric and Dio, still occupying one body, turned to see Sofia running toward them, her arms wrapping around them in a tight hug. Each one returned the sentiment.

"Thank you all," Dio vocalized as Sofia stood aside. "If it weren't for all of you, I never would have been able to defeat Hunter."

Cedric chuckled. "It's…sort of our job to help people." He gave Sofia a knowing smile, which she returned before giggling.

Dio nodded. "Hmm… I apologize, Cedric, for what I'm about to do." Before he could allow Cedric's response, he closed their eyes for a second and opened them to reveal both of Dio's blue eyes.

* * *

Inside his mind, Cedric rubbed his temples and glanced around, realizing Dio's body was nowhere to be seen. He also had no view of the outside, which surprised him. Concerned that something was wrong, he nearly panicked, yet something inside him urged him to relax…and not worry. Him, not worry? Yeah, right.

* * *

Dio, now fully occupying Cedric's body for the time being, knelt before Sofia and held out his rapier to her.

Sofia offered him a confused stare as he smirked gently. Something clicked. She realized he was _giving_ her the rapier… "H-How did you know?"

He shrugged. "I knew the moment I was still in the rapier when you and I first came in contact that you were someone I could count on. I know what you plan to do with the rapier, and I couldn't be more relieved."

"Mr. Dio… I-If I throw the rapier into the sea, wouldn't that mean…?" She inhaled and sighed. "W-Wouldn't that mean that your soul will go with it?"

He smiled at her caring nature and shook his head. "I pretty much lost all of my energy from fighting and need to rest…finally. I can now be with Esper." He smiled as Sofia gave him a distraught stare before he reached up and gently patted her head. "You remind me of her, you know. Optimistic, cheerful, and would always look out for others before herself…"

Sofia blushed modestly at the compliment before reaching out and hugging him. "I'm going to miss you."

"Same here, little one." He chuckled as she let go of him at last. Together, they walked to the side of the ship, and he offered Sofia the rapier. "The magic of the rapier is already gone, so you can now hold it with no fear of it harming you."

She accepted it, happy to see that he was right. Before she could toss it into the sea, Dio stopped her for a moment, placing his hand on her shoulder. He laughed softly at her confused look. "Cedric won't know what's happening since I've blocked the view of the outside world, so your secret is safe."

"My…secret." Oh, right. Cedric still wasn't aware of her multiple roles of solving problems, finishing stories, protecting the worlds… She smiled appreciatively and nodded.

"You're quite lucky to have him as your friend, Sofia… The moment he arrived on the ship, I could sense his overpowering sense of protection toward you. You mean a great deal to him."

Sofia blushed again. "Y-Yeah…. He means a lot to me too…"

Dio chuckled and nudged her playfully, causing her to giggle. "Goodbye, Sofia."

"Goodbye…" She tossed the rapier into the sea. "Mr. Dio…" She watched Cedric's body, his eyes now closed, as the familiar blue glow fazed out of Cedric and instead ascended into the sky. A lone tear escaped her eye as she stared up, watching the form fading into the clouds.

Cedric's body shook once, and he gasped loudly, startling Sofia.

She looked back at her mentor and smiled happily as his eyes opened, the normal, familiar brown orbs peering out at her now. She never thought she'd be so happy to see his eyes, of all things.

"What happened?" he asked groggily, uncertain as to the events following Dio's action of putting him back in his own headspace.

Sofia explained everything, leaving out the actual reason to toss the rapier into the sea, of course. She was glad when he didn't press the issue further.

"Very well… We should… We should probably get back to the museum and to your classmates, hmm?" He smiled as she took his hand and nodded.

* * *

A while later, Sofia and Cedric, along with Alonzo, watched as the port authorities arrested the clueless pirates, who weren't all that upset since now they had a more 'threatening' title instead of the unwanted 'misfits' label; so now, it was likely that people would take them more seriously. While the friends failed to see the logic in their reasoning, they weren't about to argue…

Eventually, the tour continued, minus the rapier—despite the situation that had occurred. Alonzo crafted some sort of white lie to cover up Cedric's and Sofia's whereabouts during the time of the ambush, indicating that he'd protected them at his home. After a while, the tour ended, the groups of Royal Prep students and their chaperones dispersing and heading toward their own flying coaches to get home.

However, Sofia and Cedric had other plans… They'd decided to remain behind for a bit longer. As it was dusk, and the sun was setting, the evening was upon them. They sat on a boulder near the sea, the waves crashing beneath their feet as they did so.

"Thanks for coming with me, Mr. Cedric," Sofia said gently as she kicked her feet back and forth. "I'm sorry it ended up being such a weird trip."

"It's all right, Sofia," he told her with a knowing smile. "I have a feeling most of our adventures from now on are going to be a little on the…strange yet interesting side."

She blinked at him. "Why do you say that?"

He lowered his hand to her Enchantlet, gently patting both that and her hand as she swallowed nervously. "Let's just say…I know…" He didn't press the matter any further, and neither did she. "Ready to go home?"

Sofia nodded enthusiastically. "Very." She then grinned, causing him to blink at her. "By the way, about these clothes..."

Cedric blushed and rolled his eyes. "Give me a break... It wasn't my idea in the first place."

She laughed and hugged him, smiling when he returned the hug. "You know, I'm glad you're back to yourself." She grinned up at him. "You actually smell like Mr. Cedric again."

The sorcerer blinked and gave his apprentice a confused stare. "What does _that_ mean?"

"You don't smell like fish or the ocean." She smiled thoughtfully as he blinked a few more times. "You smell like magic…and cookies." She grinned.

Cedric rolled his eyes. "Let's get you home. You're worrying me." He smiled as she giggled, and they descended from the boulder before heading off toward their own flying coach.

* * *

Once home, Sofia stopped by the Secret Library for a few minutes and was happy to see the story was complete. However, she sighed sadly as the book shelved itself, yet another ending finalized. She gasped though as a gust of wind blew from the top of the library—a familiar warmth encircling her. She couldn't help smiling as she stared upward, the silhouettes of a familiar warlock and a mysterious teen captain hugging one another. "Goodbye, Mr. Dio…"

Meanwhile, from his tower, Cedric gazed out the window and sighed in relaxation as the same familiar warmth surrounded him while he gazed at the starry night sky. "Hmm…" He shut his window and retired for the evening just as the wind picked up and carried off into the night.

The end

* * *

*Ending A/N: Here is MarionetteJ2X's exact explanation for the two eye colors and the importance behind which eye was on which side: "I'm playing the science of the body and mind stuff here since the left brain controls the right parts of the body *Rapier* while the right brain controls the left parts of the body *Family Wand* 😂"


End file.
